 The North Star, June 2, 1848 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Publisher | W.C. Nell |
| Editor | Frederick Douglass |
| Founded | December 3, 1847 (1847-12-03) |
| Ceased publication | June 1, 1851 (1851-06-01) |
| Language | American English |
| City | Rochester, New York |
| Country | United States |
| OCLC number | 10426469 |
The North Star was a nineteenth-century anti-slavery newspaper published from theTalman Building inRochester, New York, by abolitionistsMartin Delany andFrederick Douglass.[1] The paper commenced publication on December 3, 1847, and ceased asThe North Star in June 1851, when it merged withGerrit Smith'sLiberty Party Paper (based inSyracuse, New York) to formFrederick Douglass' Paper.[2] At the time of the Civil War, it wasDouglass' Monthly.
The North Star's slogan was: "Right is of no Sex—Truth is of no Color—God is the Father of us all, and all we are Brethren."[3][4]
In 1846,Frederick Douglass was first inspired to publishThe North Star after subscribing toThe Liberator, a weekly newspaper published byWilliam Lloyd Garrison. TheLiberator was a newspaper established by Garrison and his supporters founded upon moral principles.[2]The North Star title was a reference to the directions given to runaway slaves trying to reach theNorthern states andCanada: "Follow theNorth Star."[5] Figuratively, Canada was also "the north star."
LikeThe Liberator,The North Star published weekly and was four pages long. It was sold by subscription of $2 per year to more than 4,000 readers in theUnited States,Europe, and theCaribbean. The first of its four pages focused on current events concerning abolitionist issues.[6][7]
The GarrisonianLiberator was founded upon the notion that theConstitution was regarded fundamentally pro-slavery and that theUnion ought to be dissolved. Douglass disagreed but supported thenonviolent approach to the emancipation of slaves by education and moral suasion.[8] Under the guidance of the abolitionist society, Douglass became well acquainted with the pursuit of the emancipation of slaves through aNew England religious perspective.[9] Garrison had earlier convinced theMassachusetts Anti-Slavery Society to hire Douglass as an agent, touring with Garrison and telling audiences about his experiences as a slave. Douglass worked with another abolitionist,Martin R. Delany, who traveled to lecture, report, and generate subscriptions toThe North Star.[5]
Douglass's thoughts toward political inaction changed when he attended theNational Convention of Colored Citizens, the antislavery convention inBuffalo, New York, in August 1843.[10] One of the many speakers present at the convention wasHenry Highland Garnet.[11] Formerly a slave inMaryland, Garnet was aPresbyterian minister who supported violent action against slaveholders. Garnet's demands of independent action addressed to the American slaves remained one of the leading issues of change for Douglass.[12]
During a nineteen-month stay inBritain andIreland, several of Douglass' supporters bought his freedom and assisted with the purchase of aprinting press.[13] With this assistance, Douglass was determined to begin anAfrican-American newspaper that would engage the anti-slavery movement politically. On his return to theUnited States in March 1847, Douglass shared his ideas ofThe North Star with his mentors. Ignoring the advice of theAmerican Anti-Slavery Society, Douglass moved toRochester, New York, to publish the first edition. When questioned on his decision to createThe North Star, Douglass is said to have responded,
I still see before me a life of toil and trials..., but, justice must be done, the truth must be told...I will not be silent.[14]
In covering politics in Europe, literature,slavery in the United States, and culture generally in bothThe North Star andFrederick Douglass' Paper, Douglass achieved unconstrained independence to write freely on topics from theCalifornia Gold Rush toUncle Tom's Cabin toCharles Dickens'sBleak House.[15][16] In 1848, he published an open letter to Horatio Gates Warner after Warner objected toRosetta Douglass' enrollment at Seward Seminary in Rochester. The letter, which advocated for desegregation of all schools, was republished in papers across the country.[17][18]
Besides Garnet, otherOneida Institute alumni that collaborated withThe North Star wereSamuel Ringgold Ward andJermain Wesley Loguen.[19]: 9
Douglass was assisted by philanthropistGerrit Smith. Smith later merged his own anti-slavery paper withThe North Star to createFrederick Douglass' Paper.[20][21]
The only complete collection of Douglass' newspapers was destroyed in a house fire at his home inRochester in 1872.[22]
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